Page 11 of Off-Limits

I raise an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden excitement. Meanwhile, I'm aware that Jake is right there and listening to everything I'm saying. It bothers me, but there isn't anything I can do about it. It's not like I can just make him leave.

"Who?" I ask. It's strange, I think immediately. Is it really that important? Do we really have to talk about that right now? Because, in that moment, I only want to think about what to do with what's going on between Jake and me.

Emma laughs, and I can almost see her rolling her eyes at me. "Me," she says, as if it should be obvious. "And I really want you to come with me."

What?

I blink in surprise, taken aback by the invitation. Emma and I have been friends for a very long time, but we haven't seen each other in person since graduation—a whopping four months ago.

"Me?" I ask, stupidly parroting her words back at her. "Why?"

I really can't believe it. It's just so unexpected.

Emma laughs again, and this time I can hear the nervous edge to it. There's something about the wedding, something she hasn't told me yet. I can't help but wonder what it is.

"Because... well, because the wedding is for a guy I used to date sort of casually, and I really don't want to go alone."

I feel my eyebrows shoot up in surprise at that admission. Emma and I have always been pretty open with each other about our dating lives, or lack thereof, but she's never mentioned thisguy before. It makes me wonder what else she might be keeping from me.

"Whoa," I say, leaning back in my chair as the pieces start to fall into place. I can almost forget that Jake is still sitting right in front of me. "Okay, so... what exactly is going on here?"

Emma sighs heavily, and I can picture her running a hand through her short blonde hair. "It's complicated," she says. "He was this guy I knew from back home. We hooked up a few times in college, but it never really went anywhere. And then last year, out of nowhere, he messages me saying he's getting married. It was totally unexpected." I can imagine that, I think.

I'm silent for a moment, letting that sink in. It sounds like Emma is still into this guy, despite their complicated history and despite the fact that he's about to get married. She's treading on dangerous territory, no denying it.

"And you want to go to his wedding?" I ask, unable to keep the incredulity from my voice. "Why?"

Emma pauses again before answering. "Because... because I don't know," she says honestly. "I guess I just want to see him one more time. You know, say goodbye properly or something. And maybe... maybe convince him not to go through with it."

The last part comes out in a rush, and my heart goes out to her. It's clear that Emma still has feelings for this guy, even if she's too stubborn to admit it. She's being silly about it. She shouldn't go to his wedding at all. It will only make her feel worse about herself.

"Okay," I say slowly, considering the request. On one hand, I'm not exactly eager to spend hours playing therapist to my best friend while she pines after some guy who is clearly moving on with his life. But on the other hand... Well, let's face it: I could use a distraction right about now.

Anything not to be in close proximity to Jake is a good thing for me.

And with some luck, going to this wedding will help me forget about everything that happened between Jake and me yesterday and all the complicated feelings I still have for him. But, I'm not hopeful.

"Fine," I say, making my decision. "I'll go with you."

Emma's face probably lights up at the other end of the line, and I can practically hear her squeal of excitement from here. "Oh my God, thank you, Mia!" she gushes. "You don't know how much this means to me. I promise we're going to have a blast. Well, as 'blast' as you can have at a wedding where the groom is your ex."

I laugh despite myself, feeling a little bit better than before the phone call. Maybe Emma's right. Maybe this is just what I need to take my mind off everything that's happening here. It's worth a shot.

"So," I say, changing the subject as I stand up from the table and start clearing my bowl. "When do we leave?"

???

It was good talking with my friend, I think. She took my mind off Jake, at least momentarily, even though it's not enough. He's still right here in the same house as me, and the more time passes, the more I think he should probably be at his own place. He's running out of excuses to still be here.

I turn around to find him now standing by the sink, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with an unreadable expression. I didn't even see him move, which makes my eyeswiden for a moment. Either he didn't make a sound, or I was too lost in my own thoughts to notice.

He looks... intense, his jaw set and eyes narrowed. I know that he was paying attention to every single word I shared with my friend, which is unsettling. But I should have been more careful. I should've gone somewhere to have more privacy, or as much privacy as I can have in here.

"What?" I ask, feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jake uncrosses his arms and runs a hand through his disheveled hair before answering. "Who was that on the phone?" he asks like he has a right to know.

"Emma," I say, frowning at him. "My best friend from college. Why?"

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